Rhys and Andy star to land South Cliff win
The Flamborough & District Rabbits Winter
Alliance held their first meeting of the 2016/17 season at Flamborough Head Golf Club.
The new handicap rules were applied so everyone played off nine 10ths of their current handicap thus ensuring the scores were better than ever.
In the better ball competition the South Cliff pair of Andy Noble and Rhys Richings took full advantage of the new regime and posted a fantastic score of net 59 to secure first place.
Second to fifth places were all decided on the count back after all posted net 62’s, respectively David Thrower and Taff Davies of Bridlington Links, Colin Goodall and Ian Couch of North Cliff, Wiliam Lever and Huw Roberts from South Cliff and Peter Asquith and Nicholas Mack of Kirkbymoorside.
Not surprisingly after the heroics of Noble and Richings it was South Cliff who finished the day top of the Alliance Challenge Trophy standings.
Their team total was 184, followed by Kirkbymoorside in second on 188, third Flamborough 190, fourth Bridlington Links 192, joint fifth North Cliff and Bridlington Belvedere 194, seventh Malton & Norton 197, joint eighth Driffield and Filey 198 and 10th Whitby 207.
South Cliff members con- tested their October Medal at the weekend and what a good contest it proved to be, especially in Division One when seven players finished within one shot of the lead.
Neil Bruce (8) and Matt Ryan (10) both posted net 70s with Bruce just edging the count back to claim the win.
Bruce started badly with a triple bogey seven at the first but steadied himself and recovered with three birdies to finish the front nine in 38 shots.
Further problems at the 9th and 10th did not faze him and he kept going and finished strongly adding another birdie at the 15th to post a winning score.
Ryan had a much steadier round although he too dropped shots at the opening two holes.
Birdies at four and eight helped his cause but bogeys at the final two holes cost him the win.
Just one shot further back on net 71 came a gaggle of five players, Ian Hunton (13), Callum Chaplin (10), Paul Baker (9), Brian Eyre (13) and Peter Braithwaite (11), all of whom might have won it had things gone their way during proceedings.
In Division Two Darren Riley (20) posted a net 67 to win the division with Tommy Risker (20) just edged into second place on net 68.
Paul Widdowfield (24), Mark Wade (15) and Josh Blades (18) all finished on net 70 and were placed third, fourth and fifth respectively.